In May 2017, ReVision Energy and Quest Renewables collaborated on a 193-kW parking garage solar canopy project in the middle of Portland, Maine’s tightly packed, historic Old Port district. The project took two years to break ground from the first sales call, and just two weeks for our structural scope to be executed, an exciting finish to a long journey together. During this time, I worked closely with Fortunat Mueller, co-founder and president of ReVision Energy, and his team. I experienced ReVision’s culture of commitment and enthusiasm.

Fortunat and I first met on the Ultimate Frisbee field at Brown University in 1999, and I got to experience his leadership, hard work and ethics first-hand. That year he was college MVP, and in 2000 a college national champion.

Though I wasn’t surprised by the culture he fostered at ReVision given our time as teammates, I was still very impressed. I asked him to elaborate on how ReVision’s team focus was cultivated.

“From the beginning, we’ve tried to create deep employee engagement by hiring exceptional people and empowering them to be excellent solar professionals,” he told me. “As the company grew, we understood more and more that our company wasn’t just about deploying renewable energy projects, so we decided to become a Certified B Corp in 2015 with employee ownership.”

Certified B Corporations meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. Converting to a B Corp immediately resonated with ReVision employees and customers, who affirmed the value of the triple bottom line of people, planet and profits.

“We see our employees as our most important stakeholders,” Fortunat said. “Our vision is not simply to transform the energy industry, but also to challenge the way business operates in the world.”

Though a lofty goal, Fortunat has shown me for the last 20 years that it pays to be ambitious in one’s pursuits, be it chasing Frisbees or starting companies that do well by doing (and being) good.